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great part of the defign of the first chapter of Genefis; which doth not barely defcribe the glory of the creation, but prefents us with a lively account of the divine goodness to mankind, for whofe use it was fo much intended. For after that, at God's word, the several kinds of things had sprung into being, Let there be light, and day and night; let there be heavens and earth, fea and land; let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding feed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit, after his kind; let there be fun and moon and ftars; let the waters bring forth fish, the earth alfo beafts and fowl; and let thefe things be fruitful and multiply: To what end was this vaft provifion of beings, why alfo was the creation of them fo particularly and orderly recounted, but to let us fee the immenfe bounty of God to man? For God faw that all this was very good; and God faid, let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fifh of the fea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

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And this was one main spring of the pfalmift's transport, in admiration of God's good providence towards man : O Lord, our governor, how excellent is thy name in

all the earth? How full is the earth of the teftimonies of thy power and wifdom? and it is as full of the tokens of thy goodness to man, for whofe fake they were created: For the earth God hath given to the children of men.

THIRDLY, The divine care over man, is alfo evident from hence, that it is for our fakes he interpofes in the government of the rest of the world, that he hath given for our ufe. For his providence extendeth to all the parts of the creation, in which our benefit was intended; to things without reason, and without fenfe, and without life. When God first put natural causes into their order of working, he did not leave them to produce a neceffary series of effects, from the beginning to the end of the world; but continues to over-rule them, as in his wifdom and goodness he fees expedient for the good of mankind. He fendeth the Springs into the vallies, which run among the hills: They give drink to every

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beaft of the field. He caufeth grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the fervice of He appointeth the moon for feafons ; and the fun knoweth his going down. That is, God governs natural caufes, for producing what effects he pleafes. But, doth God take care for these? Is he employed in the ordering of things, that have no fenfe, or no reason? Is not all this for the fake of man, whom he hath fet in the world, to enjoy the benefit of his providence, over things irrational and inanimate?

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And therefore our Saviour, arguing against the diftruft of his difciples, ufeth this way to convince them: If God feeds the fowls of the air, and cloaths the grafs of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is caft into the oven; shall be not much more cloath you, ye of little faith? That is, If his providence be over thefe things, because they are for the service of men; can you think he will neglect you, for whose fake he still interpofeth to preserve them? It is not of it felf worthy of God's counfel, whether the season of the year be barren or fruitful, whether the winds bring a healthy or peftilential air; and yet he over-rules fecond

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fecond caufes, not for the fake of the things themselves, but upon man's account, for whofe fake they were created. Therefore fometimes for the reward of a righteous nation, fometimes for a teftimony of his patience and forbearance of the wicked, he fendeth healthful and fruitful feafons; at other times a fruitful land maketh he barren, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein.

The motions of nature in our earthly world, the air we breathe in, the foil we till, the weather, and fuch like, are without doubt of themfelves below the confideration of the infinite majefty of God; but yet, with reference to that influence which they have upon our good or evil, God is pleafed to interpofe and concern himself in thefe things, and difdains not to govern and over-rule them: Which fhews his condefcenfion with regard to us; and in what account he holds human nature.

AND yet there is another argument of a very careful providence over mankind ftill behind, which is beyond the three inftances of it I have infifted on; and that is, God's wife and gracious method for the reformation of mankind, and for faving us from the worft

worst of evils, our fins and vices. For this certainly doth of all things fhew that he is mindful of us, and that he visits us.

When the whole world lay in wickedness, and were corrupted in their ways; God, in his infinite mercy, fent his only begotten Son into the world, to proclaim forgiveness of fin to all mankind upon their repentance, to promise eternal life to the keeping of his commandments, and to offer himself facrifice to the justice of God.

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Which redemption of our nature by the Son of God, is, of all other teftimonies of a divine care of us to convert and fave us from our fins, infinitely the chiefeft. For God fo loved the world, that he gave bis only begotten Son, that we might live thro' him. And therefore, with how raised a devotion of foul fhould we ufe the pfalmift's words on that account, What is man that thou art mindful of him; and the Son of man that thou vifiteft him?

WHEREFORE, after all that hath been difcourfed on this fubject, this plain inference is to be made, that we are infinitely obliged to return our moft hearty thanks to God, for vouchfafing to regard us, to rule

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